Protector for hot top rings



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. M. CHARMAN PROTECTOR FOR HOT TOP RINGS Filed Jan. 18, 1934 April 16, 1935.

ML rse/V CHARM/Y ad $4 @d Arme/vers April 16, 1935. w. M. cHARMAN 1,997,677

PROTECTOR FOR HOT TOP RINGS File' Jan. 18, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 2 f. r ro PNE V5 Patented Apnle, 1935 Unire STATES PATENT GFFICE This invention relates to protectors for hot top l rings, that is to say replaceable refractory rings coming more and more common.

covering the lower ends of hot tops.

The casting of extremely large ingots is be- Such ingots i may weigh ten or fifteen tons and in a few instances as much as twenty-fve tons. Their value is accordingly great, and every precaution must be taken to insure against possible damage to such ingots. In the casting of this type of ingot, oating hot tops are generally used, and they are generally constructed with a cast iron or cast steel casing lined with refractory upon theinner walls andbottom ends. 'Ihe lower course lining, which covers and protects thelower end of the casing and generally also a portion' of the lower end of the upper course lining, is called usuallythe bottom ring. It may be made in a single piece for* smaller size hot tops, but is generally constructed of two or more pieces for the larger sizes. .These refractory bottom rings. are advantageously held in place, until the metal `hasbeen poured, byspring clips such as are shown in my copending application for patent Serial No.` 681,541, filed July 21, 1933.,

On account of the somewhat remote possibility that portions of these rings might spall o during .the pouring of the metal which in the case of very large ingots may consume asfrnuch as eight or nine minutes time, I havedevised the sheet metal protectors or sheaths herein disclosed for preventing any such portions from falling into the molten metal and being embedded in the ingot.

The principal object of the invention therefore vis the provision of means .for preventing the inclusion of refractory masses in ingots du@ to breakages in the hot top.

Other objects and `features of noyyelty will appear as -I proceed with the descriptln of those embodiments of the invention which, for the purposes of the present applicatiornl have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a central, vertical, sectional view o through a hot topembodying the invention. v

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a quarter section bottom ring and sheath of a modified form.

Fig. 3 is a side view of thesame partly in vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Figs.- 45 and 6 are top plan views of different forms of sheaths 4made in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive are fragmentaLvertical, sectional detail views of modifications, these views corresponding in position substantially to the line X-X of Fig. 1.

l'ig. 12 is a similar view of the same construction as that shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 13 is a detail viewof one of the spring clips which may be employed for attaching the bottomv ring and 'the sheet metal protector or sheath to the casing of the hot top.

Referring to Fig. l, I have shown a cast metal casing i0 havingan internal bottom ledge Il, upon which is supported an upper course lining l2 of refractory material. The lining I2 isa semi-permanent lining and may remain in the casing through a large number of heats. In brder to protect the lower end of the casing and the portion of the lining i2 which overhangs the ledge H, there is provided a bottom ring i3 of completely covers the lower surface of the body portion of the hot top, comprising the casing and the upper lining course, and protects them against possible damage from the hot metal. 'I'he bottom ring is so mounted that it may break away from the hot top when the latter is removed from the ingot, the ring remaining upon the ingot, and a new one being mounted upon the hot top for each heat.

The metal protectors or sheaths forming the subject of the present invention extend across at least a portion of the bottom surface of the ring I3, and preferably enclose also the inner and outer walls of the ring- The preferred form is l shown in Figs. 1 and 12 where it is numbered I4.

It is made usually in a plurality of pieces, each of which is formed preferably as a metal stamping to t snugly over the corresponding surfaces of the ring. The outer wall of the stamping in this case extends upwardly to a point even with the top surface of the ring, and from that point is bent outwardly to form a wiper strip I5 which is` adapted, when the hot top is in use, to dam the upward flow of molten metal around the hot top, that is between the hot top and the inner Wall of the mold.

The ring .I3 and the sheath I4 are supported and held in position yby suitable means. In the preferred form of the invention the means for supporting the ring I3 is utilized for supporting also the sheath, and there is no other means of attachment between the sheath and the ring. One

suitable means for accomplishing this purpose is shown in the drawings, and consists of a series of wire spring clips I6. Each clip has a relatively long outer upright arm I6a with a hook or projection at its upper end adapted to extend into a renewable s'ocket member Il set into the wall of the casing. The bottom portionJ Ib is bowed up slightly when not flexed, as shown in Fig. 13, and the inner upright arm I6c terminates in a rebent projection I6d which is adapted to takednto a socket I3, a series of which are formed in the inner walls of the ring I3 in positions opposite the socket members I1 of the casing. 'Ihis clip is shown somewhat more in detail in my copending application Serial No. 681,541, previously mentioned.

When the ring and sheath are to be assembled upon the hot top, the latter is mounted in a cradle' having sockets t'o receive the trunnions I9(Fig. 1). The hot top is then turned upon the trunnions to an inverted position, after which the ring I 3 is put in place. The sheath I4 isthen positioned over the ring. Next the clips I6 are put in position to` hold the ring and sheath to the casing. In mounting the clips the first operation is to insert the projection on the long outer arm of the clip into the sockt member Il.v The clip is then swung around to bring the bowed part IBb into engagement with the bottom of the sheath and the short arm of the clip against the inside wall of the ring. Pressure is then exerted to bend the part I6b straight and to force the projection Id over the lower corner of the socket I8, when the projection I6d snaps into the socket. The clip is thereafter firmly held in position by its own resilience. 'I'he number and size of kclips used will, of course, vary with the size of the hot top.

When the assembled hot top has been mounted upon the mold and the metal is poured, the heat willVK soften the spring clips. Consequently when the hot top is thereafter stripped from the ingot the clips will readily yield, that is to say they will break or pull out f the socket member I1. Y

In Fig. 7 I have shown a sheath 20 which extends across the lower surface of the vring only, being held in position by the clips I6 as inthe preferred form of the invention. 'Ihe sheath 20 does not have an outwardly extending flange forming a wiper strip. On the contrary, the wiper strip 2| is a separate element mounted in a shallow rabbet on the lower side of the ledge II, and held against displacement by the ring I3.

The construction of Fig. 8 is like that of Fig. 7, except for the fact that the sheath 22 in `this case has an outer wall enclosing the outer wall of the ring I3. i

'I'he construction of Fig. 9-is like that of Fig. 'I except that the sheath 23 has an inner wall en; closing the inner wall of the ring I3.

Fig. 10 illustrates a modification of the form o .the invention illustrated in Fig. 12, "but in this \of said ring.

horizontal portion of the nieatn to constitute a vwiper strip.

ciated that other modifications are within the i scope of the invention. kSuch a sheath as 20, Fig. '7,' is fairly satisfactory rfor most hot tops, but I consider it best to have the sheath enclose at least a portion of thev side walls of the ring as well as the bottom wall thereof. When all of the' exposed surfaces of the ring are covered by the sheath there is, of course, no possibility whatever that any material which may spall off the ring will lfall into the metal being poured.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I have shown different arrangements of sheaths. In these figures each sheath or sheath section has inner and outer walls, but no outwardly extending flange or wiper strip is illustrated. In Fig. 4 the sheath sections 28 are used at the corners only of the hot top. It is in the corner portions that the ring I3 is of the greatest width, and consequently most likely. to spall.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the sheath 23 made in' a single piece and adapted to cover completely the entire bottom ring of the hot top. The sheath of Fig. 6 is also adapted to cover the entire bottom ring, but in this case it is made in four sections 30.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown a sheath section 3i covering completely the bottom land two side ,Y

walls of a ring I3 made in four parts for a large/ size hot top. In this form of the invention the sheath section is attached to the ring section bymeans of tabs 32 on the upperedges of the sheath walls, these tabs being bent down lagainst the upperv surfaces of the ring when the parts are assembled.

It will be apparent that in all forms of the invention as herein illustrated the sheath extends across the lower surface of the refractory ring, and in most cases upwardly along at least a, portion of the side walls as well, and that it is preferably although not necessarily continuous around the perimeter of the hot top, and that should the heat of the molten metal while being poured so affect the refractory material of the bottom ring that cracks would yoccur and portions of the refractory break loose, such separated portionswould be prevented from falling and would be held in position by the sheath until the molten metal rose to the point where it would engage the hot top. At that time in the process of casting the ingot the hot top would float upon the metal and no breakage of refractory which might Aoccur thereafter could do any damage.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a hot top, a body portion, a refractory bottom ring covering the lower end of the body portion, and a metal sheathcarried by the hot top extending entirely yacross the lower surface E 2. In a hot top, a portion, a refractory bottom ring covering completely the lower end of the body portion, a metal sheath covering the lower surface of said ring, and means for securing said sheath and said ring to the body portion.

3. In a hot top.. a body portion, a refractory '70 bottom ring covering the lower end of thesbody portion, a metal sheath extending entirely across the lower surface of saidring and up one wall Loom?? 4. In a hot topl a body portion, a refractoryv bottom ring covering the lower end of the bodyportion, a metal sheath extending entirely acrossv `E. In a het ton, a metal arefractory bottom, ring-covering completely the lower end of the casing, a metal' sheath for the bottom extending across the bottom surface thereof, andl means for temporarily securing ssiicisheethy and said ring tothe cosine. j

e. In a,` not wp, s body'pornbn, e refractory.

bottomv ring covering completeiythe-lower end of the y portion, a vmetal sheath extending entirely across the iowersurfaceeot seid time.v`

and common xn for securinghoth saldrins and said sheath to the body'mrtion.

7. In a hot top, a metai casing, a refractore' bottom ring cove f :f

the lower end ofthe t of irnetai clips supported by the casing and extending beneathV seid sheath for supporting goth the bottom ring and the sheath. L

Inahot top, a bodyportion, a refrac ry bottom' ring covering the lower end of the body portion.v a -xnetal sheath extending around the hot top covering the lower surface ,of tho ring and extending .upwardlyelong the outer @des or the ring,. the upper edge off the outer wali of the sheathbeing bent outwardlyto dam the now or .said 'ringandf'said' sheath to' the body portion. i

' 9. lInfo. hot top;y a'cesing, a refractory bottom ring coveringthe lower endof the casing. a metal l oimetel upwardly aroundfthehot top, and l sheathfextendingiaround the hot ton covering the bottom wel! of said rnf, and common means for securing' said'ring vand said sheath to the casing, sad'meansfbeing adapted to yield when `the hot top isstripp'ed trom the inset.- e metai sheath for the bottom ringextendingacross the bottom surface thereof, amie-series. 

